Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a method of producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and to a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus each including the electrophotographic photosensitive member.
Description of the Related Art
An electrophotographic photosensitive member containing an organic photoconductive substance (sometimes referred to as “charge-generating substance”) has been vigorously developed as an electrophotographic photosensitive member to be mounted on an electrophotographic apparatus. The electrophotographic photosensitive member generally includes a support and a photosensitive layer containing a charge-generating substance on the support. In addition, the photosensitive layer is generally of a laminate type (forward layer type) obtained by laminating a charge-generating layer and a charge-transporting layer in the stated order from the support side.
In an electrophotographic process, a variety of members such as a developer, a charging member, a cleaning blade, paper, and a transferring member (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “contact member”) have contact with the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member. Therefore, characteristics required of the electrophotographic photosensitive member include a reduction in image deterioration due to a contact stress with such contact member or the like. In particular, in recent years, the electrophotographic photosensitive member has been desired to be further improved in sustainability of an effect of reducing the image deterioration due to the contact stress and in suppression of a potential variation at the time of repeated use along with improvement of durability of the electrophotographic photosensitive member.
To relax the contact stress sustainably and suppress the potential variation at the time of the repeated use of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, International Patent WO 2010/008095, Japanese Patent No. 4975181, and Japanese Patent No. 5089815 each propose a method of forming a matrix-domain structure in a surface layer using a siloxane resin having a siloxane structure incorporated into its molecular chain. In International Patent WO 2010/008095, it is disclosed that the use of a polyester resin having incorporated therein a specific siloxane structure can achieve both the sustainable relaxation of the contact stress and the suppression of the potential variation at the time of the repeated use of the electrophotographic photosensitive member.
Each of the electrophotographic photosensitive members disclosed in the documents can achieve both the sustainable relaxation of the contact stress and the suppression of the potential variation at the time of the repeated use. However, additional improvements in the sustainable relaxation of the contact stress and the suppression of the potential variation have been desired in order to achieve an increase in speed of an electrophotographic apparatus and an increase in number of printed sheets. Meanwhile, the inventors of the present invention have advanced studies, and as a result, have found that the additional improvements in the sustainable relaxation of the contact stress and the suppression of the potential variation can be achieved by incorporating a specific polycarbonate resin upon formation of the matrix-domain structure.